Q&A with Rochester College student athlete Cassandra Medeiros.

by Johnathan LykinsShield Staff

Cassandra Medeiros is a freshman soccer player and psychology major from London, Ontario, Canada.

Q: How do you manage your time with practice and school etc.?

A: “My time is managed pretty well. Right now, I’m juggling school, work and soccer. So you can imagine my stress, but I’ve planned accordingly, so I have time for everything, and it’s going smoothly right now.”

Q: What high school did you attend? Did you happen to play any other sports?

A: “I went to John Paul II Catholic Secondary school for all four years. There I played basketball, soccer, badminton and ran track.”

Q: How do you feel before a big game?

A: “Before a game, as a freshman, I normally get overwhelmed with nerves, but excited at the same time. It all depends on confidence with myself and with my team.”

Q: Do you feel like your team has chemistry or not?

A: “I would most definitely say that our team has chemistry. It wasn’t bad to begin with, but the extra bit of practice and team bonding helped us understand one another and just made us feel comfortable with each other.”

Q: Are there any before or after game traditions?

A: “Our before and after game traditions usually include prayer. Each game we expect maximum effort from everyone on the team, on the field and on the bench.”

Q: When did you start playing soccer?

A: “I started playing soccer when I was about 5 years old. then started playing competitively when I was 12 and played for the same team until I came to Rochester.”

Q: Did you have to overcome any adversities?

A: “The only misfortune I’ve really come back from is when I fractured my ankle when I was 15 years old. I struggled for about five months then another two months with physical therapy. By that time, I was ready for indoor season.”

Q: What do you feel was the most challenging aspect you had to learn?

A: “Most challenging aspect I had to learn was playing with people who were not a fan of mine and vice versa. As a result, games usually ended in injuries, tears or anger.”

Q: Do you learn more from winning or losing? Why?

A: “I most definitely learn more from losing than winning. If my team loses, we usually feel regret, or I do at least, because whether we made silly little mistakes, or just were not playing to our full potential. We know for next time that we need to stay focused and know what we want the end goal to be. Playing with confidence is a big deal because it shows trust in your team and in yourself.”